Motor cut-out.



C. E. TAYLOR.

MOTOR CUT-0UT.

APPLICATION HLED MAR.17.1913.

l ,23 l ,8 l 0., Patented July 3, 1917.

'STS55 /f 6@ a @L7M @XM/tucson sans nanna uneo CHARLES E. TAYLOR, F COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF '1;0 DAVID STEVLLE,

' OF COLUMBUS, OHO.

MOTOR CUT-OUT.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

L Application iled March 17, 1913.' Serial No. 754,736.

To all whom t may. concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES E. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and `State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor Cut- Guts, of which the following is .a specification.

ctesting the engine as a whole.

My invention relates to motor cut-outs for use in connection with internal combustion engines and more particularly as an attachment for use in connection with the multicylinder engines of motor vehicles. My invention may be used either as a permanent attachment upon such vehicle or may be used solely as a portable testing instrument, as desired. Motorists are frequently called upon to explain the queer actions of their motor while on the road, or are required to stop for its repair. rllhese motor troubles may be traced to various sources, principally among these being ignition trouble and faulty valve construction. To definitely locate the one cylinder of a multi-cylinder engine in which these troubles occur, is oftentimes puzzling to even an experienced motorist and my invention aims to provide a structure whereby these troubles may be very speedily located.

The main object of my invention is to provide an instrument unit that is operable to successively render any of the cylinders comprising the engine inoperative by interrupting the ignition circuit of such cylinders. lin this manner, if the trouble lies in the ignition circuit, the cylinder missing lire can be very readily located.

My invention may also be applied for By interrupting the ignition circuit of a number or all of the cylinders except one as stated above and allowing this one cylinder or remaining cylinders to pull the others against compression, forms a very simple and effective means particularly of testing the valves of any of the cylinders. My instrument unit may, therefore, be placed at any desired point and the ignition circuit of the desired cylinder may be interrupted. l also provide means for maintaining the ignition circuit of the desired cylinder inoperative as long as may be desired.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is ,shown in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, andl in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of my invention shown assembled with a portion of the cover broken away, y

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, and,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of my invention shown applied to two cylinders of an engine uni ln the drawings, l have shown a casing 1 formed of some insulating material, preferably ber, and having a pocket formation 2 therein. Extending upward from the upper edge of the pocket 2 are a plurality of channels 3 which are adapted to form a seat for a plurality of resilient contact arms 4 secured in place by binding screws 5. Leading outward from each of the contact strips 4 and in communication therewith through the medium of the binding screws 5, are a plurality of leads 6, each provided with some suitable attaching device, shown in the present instance as a hook 7. rllhese hooks are adapted to form the medium of connection of the leads 6 spark plug now in use upon the engine of motor vehicles. ln the lower portion of the pocket 2 and lying against the base thereof, is a bus bar 8 in electrical communication with the common return lead 9 which may be termed the common ground wire. The casing 1 may be suitably covered against the influence of moisture, etc., by a 'covering plate 10 held thereon by screws 1l and apertured opposite the free end of each of the contact strips 4, as shown at l2. Sliding within each of the apertures 12 is a plug 13 having a shoulder 14 at its lower end and adapted to bear directly upon each of the 95 strips 4c, it being understood that these plugs 13 as well as the cover 10, are made of some suitable insulating material.

Referring to Fig. 3, if it is desired to interrupt the ignition circuit coming from 10u the magneto shown diagrammatically at 15, of any of the cylinders comprising the engine, the corresponding plug 13 is depressed until its contact strip 4 comes into engagement with the bus bar 8, in which case cur- 106 rent will flow out of one of the leads 16 from the magneto to the spark plug 17, from where it will be shunted through one of the leads 6 into the corresponding resilient strip 4c, through the bus bar 8, and re- 1w turn to the magneto by means of the ground wire 9, it being understood that this wire 9 is attached to any desirable portion of the metallic framework of the engine. The inherent resiliency of each of the strips 4 is suiicient to normally maintain any circuit open through my device and, therefore, the ignition circuit from the magneto 15 through anylof the spark plugs 17 will be complete. owever, depression of any one or number of the push plugs 13 will short circuit the ignition circuits of any one or number of the cylinders of the engine and thereby render such cylinder inoperative.

It will be apparent that my device may be applied to advantage upon the dash of a motor vehicle, in which case it is desirable to provide means for maintaining the push plugs 13 in their depresseddosition, whereby the contact strips 4 are held in engagement with the bus bar`8. To this end, I have provided a plurality of lock handles 18 pivoted at 19 upon the cover 10. It will be apparent that the lock handles 18 may be swung around .into position to maintain the push lugs 13 in their depressed position as is desired, whereby the operator is free to operate upon the remainder of the engine. It will also be apparent that release of the lock handles 18 to the position indicated in Fig. 1 automatically breaks the connection between the bus bar 8 and the strips 4, due to their resiliency. Y

What I claim, is:

1.' A cut-out comprising, with a plurality of electric in combination circuits adapted -vided with leads to closed, a casing proall of said circuits, a resilient contact stripv forming one termination of .each of said leads and supported at one end on said casing, a said casing adjacent the free ends of said strips, a ground wire leading from said bus bar, and push plugs carried by said casing and adapted when pushed to brin said strips into engagement with said bus ar to shunt the current -to any of said circuits to render them inoperative.

2. A cut-out comprising, in combination with a plurality of electric circuits adapted to be intermittently closed, a casing pro vided with leads to all of said circuits, a resilient contact strip forming one termination of each of said leads and supported at one end on said casing, a bus bar carried by said casing adjacent the free ends of said strips, a ground wire leading from said bus bar, push plugs carried by said casing and adapted when pushed 'to bring said strips into engagement with said bus bar to shunt the current toany of said circuits to render them inoperative, and a plurality of pivoted handles adapted to be swung over said push plugs when they are depressed to hold them in such depressed position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. TAYLOR.

to be intermittently Witnesses:

WALTER E. L. Boon, A. L. PnnLPs.

bus bar carriedby v 

